Ranger Needs a Favour
by Lulubelle09
Summary: Just a oneshot, "Babe I need a favour... I need you to marry me". I'd love to see any other writers use the same line to develope their own oneshots.


So i have writers block on my Hector story but this one came out instead. It all started from just a line i thought of "Babe i need a favour... I need you to marry me". I would love if any of my reader would like to use the same line as a prompt, i'm sure there are many ways the line could be used. Anyway let me know what you think. PM or review with a link if you decide to take up my Challenge :P :D

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Ranger broke into Stephanie's apartment at 6m on a Sunday morning. Of course Steph was still asleep. Ranger has bought donuts and coffee so that Steph woke in slightly happier mood then one might have thought. She still swore and attempted to pummel him but that was expected.

After her breakfast in bed she turned to Ranger inquiringly, "What up Batman? You're here with breakfast in the middle of the night on a Sunday?"

"_Babe I need a favour."_ There was a slight pause as Ranger seemed to collect himself, "_I need you to marry me."_

The silence that followed was all encompassing. Finally the shock wore off and Steph spluttered back to life, "WHAT!"

"I need you to marry me" Ranger repeated, face a blank as ever

"Why?" Steph questioned, her spidey sense where tingling.

"Rachel and Ron were in a car accident last night. They were coming home from a friend's birthday party in the hour surrounding midnight. They and 2 of their children were killed." This was all said in a clinical way a police officer might tell his superior. Ranger paused to breathe and emotion slipped past his blank face "Julie has finials, so she stayed home to study." Another breath and the blank face was in control. "The newborn survived, I forget her name, she's in hospital but that state of the art car seat I bought her seemed to do its job." Another breath as his eyes found hers, "but I need to get to Miami ASAP and if I want to get custody of my daughter and the baby my lawyer thinks I need a wife, something about stability. He agrees that you'd be the best person, you have so many roots here, you have proven you care deeply about Julie and you have police force full of people willing to testify to your caring nature. Rachel's parents want custody, mostly on principal and they don't really like me, but with you as part of the equation it might help them accept it."

Silence followed, then Stephanie spoke, "Ranger, you want to get married and have me raise your children?" there was no hiding the slight panic that laced her voiced

"In appearances at any rate. You'd have to move in with me, live with us, but we can get a nanny for the baby and we'll have Ella to help out. You'd need to work for Rangeman, quit Vinne's, but you've been in the office more recently so I hope that won't be too hard." Ranger stopped, took Stephanie's hands and looked deeply into her eyes, "Please Babe. I want my daughter back."

Steph nodded weather in agreement or confusion Ranger wasn't sure. "So no Vinne's or skip chasing." Steph was surprisingly calm, she has been edging more into Rangeman in the last few months and she enjoyed it there.

"Not none, if you have an urge you join a team every now and then. But I think that you will be the 'safe, reliable' parent, to the judge."

Taking a deep breath, thoughts whizzing around her head Steph simply said "Okay"

"Babe are you sure. There is no going back."

"I'm sure Ranger"

"What about Joe?" Ranger hated to ask but he had to, he had too much at risk.

Stephanie pause, looking slightly away. The repercussions hadn't fully registered with her yet but she knew that Ranger needed her and she would help him in any way possible, just as he always helped her.

"We'll deal with him later, there are more important things to worry about. We're off at any rate, it felt kinda permanent this time. We still hang out some, building on our friendship and he is still important to me but we don't really work. He's even been on some dates. Everything else, him, my mother and the Burg can all be dealt with later, right now Julie needs us, when do we leave?"

Ranger was humbled by the way Steph had dealt with everything this morning. "Proud of you Babe." He whispered into her hair as he hugged her against his chest. She really had the biggest heart of anyone he knew.

"Plane leave in 1.5 hours, better pack a white dress cause we're hitting the ground, running straight from the plane to the Justice of the Peace. From there we're headed to the hospital until it's time for the emergency hearing at the court house."

Steph took a second to absorb that information and got out of bed to start packing. As she did question came to mind.

"Where is Julie now? How badly is the baby hurt? She was only a month or so old isn't she?"

Ranger had stayed in bed, back to the headboard, eyes closed. "Julie is at the hospital with her sister. As I said the car seat was worth the fortune I paid, it protected the bubba well but there are still a few cuts and bruises and she was rattles around quite a bit. A possible broken collar bone, but that isn't that serious, they are a little concerned with brain damage from the rattling but the first lot of tests looked okay. They have her sedated at the moment."

"Poor little thing. Julie just sent me a photo of her a week ago. How is Julie coping? Is she as okay as she can be?"

Ranger loved that Steph understood that. There was no way his daughter could be okay, but there was varying levels of not okay.

"She's not doing well. She called me panicked last night around 3am when she got up to go to the bathroom and noticed no one was home. It's not like them not to have been back especially with the newborn, plus Rachel is still a little wary of being a way from Julie for too long. I sent a few guys over to secure the house and stay with Julie. They got the number of the friend's house they were at and called over, but they said they'd left over 4 hours ago. I used a contact in the police force to find out what happened." Ranger paused and sighed, going into himself.

"What happened Ranger? You said something about a car accident. Why hadn't they notified anyone?"

"The accident itself happened around 11.45pm. It seemed that only Ron died on impacted, possibly Rachel was unconscious, but either way there was no emergency call from them. From what they can work out a truck lost its load basically on top of them. The truckie either didn't notice or didn't car but there was a delay in getting emergency services to them, the next car to drive by called in the accident around midnight, tried to administer first aid but they'd all succumb to their injuried by the time Julie got to the hospital close to 5am."

Steph had stopped packing and was lying on Ranger's chest crying, he kissed her curls and lifted her up "Get packing, a dress and a few light tops and short will be enough, maybe a pair of shoes. Anything else we can buy. Ella and Luis are going to pack up your apartment while we are gone and move everything into 7 or storage. You can mail your notice from Miami."

As Steph was packing she came across a white cotton sun dress she had bought on impulse (and on sale) last week, it was beautiful and simple and now she knew why it had seemed important to buy it at the time. A couple of tops, two pairs of short, a pair of jeans and some underwear later, she was grabbing her makeup bag and ready to leave.

The trip seemed stilted in Stephanie's memory. The car ride, the emotion in Tank's eyes as he thanked her, take off, Ranger's hands fisting and relaxing as he thought unknown things, a baby crying from somewhere behind her, landing and the shiny black car she was bundle into. Now she was standing in the bathroom of the Justice of the Peace office changing into the dress, doing her makeup and fixing her hair as a bonnet of white flowers, some with just a hint of other colours, rested against the mirror in front of her. Ranger had grabbed then as they walked into the office, presenting them to her with a smile.

Steph stared at herself in the mirror. 'I'm marrying Batman' she said to herself, and panic started to build as the situation became real. She was marrying a man who she loved, but who shied away from relationships, to become a mother to two girl, one a newborn, one a teenager, who had lost their parents so suddenly. Before her fight or flight instincts could fully come into effect, the voice in her head reminded her that Ranger needed her and the panic and doubt was gone. Ranger needed her and she would help him, no matter what. Plus with Ranger she was always safe and secure, everything would be okay.

The marriage was quick and simple, very little fanfare before the 'I do's', photos were taken and the forms legalized. Then everything was faxed to Ranger's Lawyers office and they were off to the hospital.

The children's ward was depressing in its cheerfulness. Baby Martine, whose name was Rose, was unnaturally still as the many machines attached to her buzzed and beeped. Julie was asleep in a chair, tear marks apparent on her face.

Ranger went straight to his daughter and pulled her into a hug, waking her but neither cared as they clung to the other, Julie's sobbing muffed by her father's chest. Steph walked over to baby Rose, running a finger down the tiny child's cheek. She watched as Ranger sat in the seat pulling his 16yr old daughter into his lap. Steph realise the though Julie was so much older now, she looked as young as she had the first time Steph had seen her. Any lingering doubts vanished as Julie looked up, seeing Steph for the first time and called her over to join the comfort hug. She was doing the right thing and she would face down anyone who dared to say differently.

When the time for the Family Hearing came, Julie opting to wait with her sister, the couple sat nervously in the court room. Thought they showed it in different ways. Steph was fidgeting and Ranger was staring straight ahead, the arm he had around Steph tightening every so often. Rachel's parent's lawyer was there but the people were not, to upset the court was told, to attend. Both sides were told and the Judge disappeared to her chambers to deliberate. In the end, Ranger's age, income and military back ground held up against the stability of a grandparent's home. The opposing lawyer mentioned that Ranger really had no rights to Julie as he had giving up his parental rights to Ron, the Judge commented that she thought it was a brave thing to do, and reminded the lawyer that Ranger had been financially supporting Julie for her whole life, which she said counted for a lot when you aren't legally obligated to. The Kidnapping was brought up, but the Judge had been impressed with the way Ranger had handled the situation and the lengths his new wife had gone to for her new daughter. The finial objection of biology, the baby not being even related to him, was squashed quickly as well. The car seat that Ranger had bought had saved the baby's life. The judge also doubted that an elderly couple could care for a 6 week old baby, stating that she felt the responsibility would fall to Julie, whereas Stephanie and Ranger were young and would be able to fully care of the baby without Julie's help. It didn't hurt that Rangeman was a billion dollar cooperation of which Ranger owned 60% and Julie's Grandparents lived off social security and what money Rachel could send every month.

Stephanie and Ranger returned to the hospital legal guardians of Julie and Rose Martine. Rose's brain scans looked normal but they would be keeping her sedated until the worst of the machines were able to be moved, possible another 2 days. When Julie began to fall asleep they took her home, tucked her in and started the daunting task of planning a joint funeral for the family. Ranger tried to talk to Rachel's parent, feeling they would want some input on their daughter's finial resting but they were too angry and it did not end well. Ranger decided to go ahead with the plans and if they wanted something else they could organise it themselves. The date was set for in 3 days' time and the arrangements had been made.

Ranger and Stephanie sat together silently just holding one another and taking in the silence that had too often being penetrated by sobs from Julie.

"Thank you" he said softly kissing her hair. Steph noticed that today had been the most physically affectionate Ranger had ever been with her, he had constantly been seeking her touch, looking for her if she was not close or pulling her to him if he was able to do so, though they had barely kissed.

"How are you doing Ranger?" she asked him. His life had changed as well; it must be a shock for him too. "You've been all action, all day, but this must be hard on you too."

Ranger pulled her closer and sighed into her hair, "I'm sad about Rachel and Ron and their children. I'm sad for Julie and Rose for losing their family in such a horrible way. I Feel I owe it to Rachel and Ron to take care of Rose as best I can after the wonderful way they raise my daughter. I learnt a long time ago that life isn't fair but how something like this can happen to such good people." He sighed again, picking up her hand and playing with the ring he had just put there this morning. "I called my handler, talked to him about what had happen, requested that due to extreme circumstances, my contract be ended. He agreed, they will still be able to contact Rangeman but I'm out of the game."

"How do you feel about that? It must be difficult to accept?"

"I don't really know. It's a shock, but I'm a practical person and it had to be done. Rachel had to completely change her life for Julie so I don't feel I have the right to complain. I put myself first when Julie was a baby, but not any more I want to be there for my little girl, put her first, show her that I love her. That I always have." He sighed again and Stephanie wondered if she should be keeping count of the sighs as she was sure he had never sighed so much before.

"How do you feel about us being married?" Steph was anxious about asking but she needed to know

"At the moment it is more of a solution to the problem and I've been so focused on Julie and getting custody that I haven't really thought about it to be honest. But I know you are the only women I would ever consider marrying, that if you have said no then I would have just taken my chances alone. I know that I love you more than I have loved another woman ever. I know I have said that my life doesn't lend itself to relationship, but that had changed now and you are the only person I would want to be with me. I want to be truly married to you Stephanie. How do you feel?"

"Same as you, it hasn't sunk in yet, but I have loved you for a long time and I would do anything for you. I want to be by your side throughout this. Even if it means raising a baby" Steph and Ranger both smiled a little over that, then Steph frowned "But Ella will be able to help right?"

Panic started in again, but this time it was wound up in fear. She knew nothing about raising children, or feeding them, or caring for them. She wanted to help Ranger but what if she made it worse. The poor thing was so banged up and she might hurt her. Plus she wouldn't be able to understand that her mother was dead, what if she hated Stephanie?

"Breathe Babe, your turning colours. You will be a great mum. I'll be there and we will do this together. We can learn together helping each other out." Ranger paused "But yes Ella will be there to help."

Silence stretched on as each collected their thoughts and tried to comprehend the life altering chances that had happened in such a short time.

It seemed it was now Ranger's turn to ask the questions "How are you going to handle everything at home?"

"With the truth;. You needed me and everyone knows there is nothing we wouldn't do for each other."

"You're not going to stop me seeing Joe are you?" Steph asked worriedly "Or expect me to start cooking and cleaning?" She didn't think he would but she hadn't met 'relationship' Ranger yet.

"Of course not Babe, I don't want to control your life but share it"

Steph snuggled into Ranger, the busy day catching up with her. "Sounds perfect"


End file.
